Fake News! Vending Is NOT Banned In Italy

Fake News! It’s been a problem since time immemorial. Here’s how it can work: whilst on manoeuvres in 1914, a brigadier commanding a certain brigade stationed in Aldershot passed the word to the nearest colonel to him :—“Enemy advancing from the left flank. Send reinforcements.” By the time it reached the end of the right flank the message was received : “Enemy advancing with ham-shanks. Send three and fourpence!”

And so it is with the widely reported story that vending has been banned in Italy. It hasn’t, it’s Fake News.

Thankfully, the good people at the AVA immediately smelt a rat and – to mix animal metaphors – they went straight to the horse’s mouth – their partners in CONFIDA and the EVA.

Consequently, we now know the facts of the matter and we’re happy to share them with you.

The Lombardy region, being one of the Italian regions most impacted by COVID-19, has introduced additional restrictions on the movement of its citizens.

One of these is the closure, along with many other retail outlets, of the on-street 24-hour vending outlets which are so much a feature of Italian street life. (See the main picture)

‘Ordinary’ vending – in Hospitals, Government offices, fire departments, the forces and police and other permitted places of work are not affected and continue to provide a vital food and refreshment service.

The Lombardy Region

So, there you are, it’s Fake News. A ban on vending is not happening in Italy, and it’s not going to happen here. Fact.

‘It’s just one of those things’, David Llewellyn said philosophically, ‘but the reverse is true. Many health workers, all over the world, from surgeons to porters, are ignoring their designated hours to work until they drop in their fight against coronavirus.. Vending machines are proving to be a godsend, allowing them to refuel on the hoof in the most pressing of circumstances. As an industry, we have to support them by making sure our machines are well stocked and working, ensuring of course – that we comply with.the latest Government guidelines for working safely. For details – make sure you check out the AVA Advice.’

About the author

The Editor

Planet Vending’s Editor is Ian Reynolds-Young and it’s Ian’s unique writing talent that has made PV what it is today – the best read (red) vending blog in the world, and vending’s best read (reed). Ian ‘tripped and fell into vending’, in the capacity of PR executive, before launching a specialist agency, ‘reynoldscopy’, dedicated to the UK Vending business. The company continues to represent the interests of many of the sector’s leading brands.

‘It’s all about telling stories’, he says. ‘We want to make every visit to PV a rewarding experience. By celebrating the achievements of the UK’s operating companies, we’re on a mission to debunk the idea that vending is retailing’s poor relation.’